<mcc story=""> </mcc>The Topeka City Council voted 6-3 Tuesday evening to approve a rate hike that will mean about a $14 monthly increase in the average water, sewer and stormwater utility bill for a single-family home.

Council members Jack Woelfel, Bill Haynes, Deborah Swank, Brett Blackburn, Jeff Preisner and Richard Harmon voted in favor of the ordinance, while Lana Kennedy, John Alcala and Sylvia Ortiz voted against it.
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Alcala said he couldn't support the increases because he thought they would substantially affect senior citizens and others on fixed incomes.
Blackburn responded that he thought the increases were needed. He said he viewed raising user fees as preferable to increasing property taxes because people paying user fees can cut costs by modifying their behavior, while those paying property taxes can't.

The council last raised utility rates in November 2003 when it approved increases that took effect on Jan. 1 of 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Public works director Mike Teply told council members Tuesday that those rate hikes hadn't generated expected revenue increases. He also said Topeka's water and sewer infrastructure is aging and deteriorating.

Teply said the latest rate hikes will be targeted at continuing to improve and replace the city's utility infrastructure, enabling Topeka to continue to comply with federal regulations and addressing cash flow concerns caused by insufficient revenues.

The new rates are to take place this May 1 and on Jan. 1 of 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Council members voted to raise the minimum water charge for single-family homes by $6.18 — from $8.82 to $15 — effective May 1, with the new charge remaining in effect through the end of 2011. The minimum charge includes the first 1,500 gallons of water used each month.

The city also will raise the minimum monthly wastewater, or sewer, charge for single-family homes by $3.54 — from $11.31 to $14.85 — for city residents beginning May 1 and running through the end of 2011. The minimum charge covers the first 1,500 gallons of wastewater discharged into the city's sanitary sewer system

The ordinance approved Tuesday also calls for the city to:

• Raise water volume rates per 1,000 gallons within city limits by 3 percent each year. For single-family homes, that would raise the rate per 1,000 gallons from the current $3.18 to $3.28 on May 1, to $3.38 in 2009, to $3.48 in 2010 and to $3.58 in 2011. The volume rate kicks in after the 1,500 gallons covered by the monthly minimum rate.

• Raise wastewater rates in the city by 4 percent annually from the current $3.30 per 1,000 gallons to $3.43 on May 1, to $3.57 in 2009, to $3.71 in 2010 and to $3.86 in 2011. Residential sewer rates are based on a calculated average water volume determined for water used in the months of December, January and February.

• Raise the stormwater runoff rate in Topeka by about 17 percent on May 1, with no further increases being planned through the end of 2011. The amount assessed for stormwater runoff depends on a property's amount of impervious surface areas that don't allow rainfall to soak into the ground, such as driveways, sidewalks and rooftops.

Except in the city's North Topeka drainage district, the runoff charge is to increase from $2.34 to $2.75 a month for a residence with less than 1,500 square feet of impervious surface; $3.62 to $4.25 a month for 1,500 to 3,500 square feet; $5.65 to $6.65 a month for more than 3,500 square feet; and $3.62 to $4.25 a month for apartments and duplexes.

Water and wastewater rates for customers who use city water and sewer services but live outside of Topeka will amount to 175 percent of the city rates for all customer classes, including minimum charges and volume rates. The city doesn't assess stormwater runoff fees to anyone who lives outside of the city.

Teply said the increase in the stormwater fees will provide the necessary funding for more than $6 million the city must pay for improvements to levees located on the Kansas River, Soldier Creek and Shunganunga Creek.
The federal government is to pay most of the more than $17 million cost for the levee work, he said.

In other action, the council voted 9-0 to approve a joint city-county resolution expressing support for Amtrak's expansion of railroad service from Newton to Oklahoma City and asking Amtrak to provide a full line of customer service, including baggage handling, at its Topeka station at S.E. 5th and Holliday.

Lzen

04-16-2008, 07:50 AM

Lovely. Our city council would be better run by a group of chimpanzees. I can understand an increase once in while, but a $14 a month increase is too much at one time.

Skip Towne

04-16-2008, 08:24 AM

That does it. I'm cancelling my account.

Demonpenz

04-16-2008, 08:35 AM

bend over and take it up the tail pipe!

Fat Elvis

04-16-2008, 08:51 AM

Just be glad that Lawrencians get our poop water.

It is the breakfast of (National) Champions.

007

04-17-2008, 01:32 AM

Just be glad that Lawrencians get our poop water.

It is the breakfast of (National) Champions.

:clap:ROFL

007

04-17-2008, 01:34 AM

Lovely. Our city council would be better run by a group of chimpanzees. I can understand an increase once in while, but a $14 a month increase is too much at one time.

They just finished shitting all over us with that four year long increase. Now they puke on us with this crap.

Maybe now I can talk the wife into letting me change out the toilets with the 1.6 gallon models.

KCFalcon59

04-17-2008, 07:12 AM

They just finished shitting all over us with that four year long increase. Now they puke on us with this crap.

Maybe now I can talk the wife into letting me change out the toilets with the 1.6 gallon models.

You should mail all your poopie diapers to the water dept in protest. That'll show em.

cdcox

04-17-2008, 07:51 AM

You could always opt for keeping your 1000 gallons of sewage and save $3.86. If you think of it that way, it is a really good deal.

007

04-17-2008, 10:14 PM

You should mail all your poopie diapers to the water dept in protest. That'll show em.

Nah, that would cost me postage. Maybe a diaperbomb at the front door. Nah, that will cost me gas. UGH.:doh!::D